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The security service has acknowledged that it provided false evidence to three different courts and that senior MI5 officials were repeatedly dishonest throughout the process. This admission marks the first instance of MI5 conceding that lies were told while defending a violent neo-Nazi informant, whose abusive behaviour was later uncovered by the BBC. Initially, MI5 denied these allegations when the BBC exposed the falsehoods in February 2025.
During a High Court hearing in London, Timothy Otty KC, speaking on behalf of MI5, confirmed that the agency “accepts without reservation” the conclusions of a critical report. This report highlighted that MI5 had lied about adhering to its fundamental secrecy principle, the ‘neither confirm nor deny’ policy (NCND), in relation to the agent status of the neo-Nazi informant. MI5 had argued that it maintained this policy, which led the courts to approve withholding vital information from a woman who had been abused by the informant. However, the claim was false; MI5 had, in fact, disclosed the man’s role as an agent during phone conversations aimed at dissuading the BBC from pursuing an investigation in 2020.
A panel consisting of three senior judges—Lady Chief Justice Baroness Sue Carr, Dame Victoria Sharp, and Mr Justice Chamberlain—is currently deliberating on possible responses to this misconduct. Their considerations include the potential initiation of contempt of court proceedings against certain MI5 officers or the organisation itself, a measure without precedent given the circumstances. The initial report, conducted by Sir John Goldring, who served as the deputy investigatory powers commissioner, revealed that one senior MI5 officer repeatedly lied, while another misled colleagues and provided false accounts of information received. Additionally, the report outlined “serious and systemic failures” within MI5 throughout the handling of the case.
Otty emphasized that MI5 “fully accepts and acknowledges the gravity of the issues raised” and affirmed that such failings must never be repeated. The agency is pursuing extensive reforms under the guidance of Director General Sir Ken McCallum. Against contempt proceedings, Otty argued it would not serve the public interest due to the thorough investigation by Sir John, MI5’s formal apologies, and its commitment to reform. Officer 2 resigned following these revelations, while Officer 3 faces suspension and potential dismissal amid ongoing disciplinary action. Both officers’ legal representatives opposed contempt charges, with Officer 2’s counsel acknowledging substandard conduct but denying dishonesty or interference with justice. Officer 3’s lawyer accepted that his actions misled the courts but denied any intent to deceive dishonestly.
The case at the heart of these proceedings involves a foreign neo-Nazi informant, known as Agent X, who abused his role within MI5 to exert control over his partner, alias Beth, including subjecting her to coercion and violent attacks such as a machete assault. Despite a police investigation, MI5 facilitated his departure abroad to continue intelligence operations. In 2022, the government unsuccessfully attempted to prevent the BBC’s investigation by seeking legal restrictions that secured Agent X’s anonymity. Beth later pursued legal action against MI5 at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal and sought a High Court review in 2024. Throughout these legal battles, MI5 insisted it had strictly adhered to its secrecy policy, swearing under oath that nobody—including the BBC or Beth—was ever told Agent X’s agent status. As a result, the courts accepted MI5’s argument, barring Beth and others from accessing key evidence and severely disadvantaging her legal position.
One MI5 officer endeavoured to justify Agent X’s actions by falsely denying that he was an abusive misogynist or a genuine extremist. After the court ruling in late 2024, the BBC challenged MI5’s account, accusing the agency of lying to the judiciary. Initially, MI5 adamantly maintained its position until irrefutable evidence was presented, including a recorded phone call involving Officer 2. Subsequent official inquiries found no deliberate wrongdoing by MI5 but attributed the false evidence to errors and faulty memories. However, in July 2025, a panel of senior High Court judges declared these internal investigations to be fatally flawed and unreliable. Following the Prime Minister’s directive in September 2025, Sir John Goldring’s inquiry was commissioned after MI5’s previous explanations were deemed insufficient
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